A quarter of a century later, we're still living with the world September 11th made. On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, we talk with Tom Vilsack, who was Iowa’s governor during the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history. He remembers where he was and how he chose to respond. Then, we talk with Mark Listes of Pendulum Intelligence on the AI-fueled disinformation war reshaping elections and public trust, and what it means for us ahead of the midterms. We also meet Amber Essau, an International Writing Program resident from New Zealand. Then, Studio One's Cece Mitchell grooves us into the weekend.
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The Democratic National Convention has finalized its 2028 presidential primary calendar, and Iowa is not in the early voting contest. On this Newsbuzz edition, Meghan McKinney sits in for Ben Kieffer. First, we hear from Iowans who competed in a weed identification contest at the state fair. Then, we talk with professor Megan Goldberg of Cornell College about the competition in the Iowa governor and Senate races. Daniel Wheaton of the Midwest Newsroom joins us to talk about childcare costs for Iowa families and we hear from IPR's Eliza Billingham about a new crisis aversion program coming to Scott County. Then, we hear about the new Studio One schedule from program director Nick Brunner, and he grooves us into the weekend. -
An exhibit at the International Spy Museum explores the use of camouflage in war, espionage and how it relates to surveillance and deep fakes today. We hear about the exhibit from the vice president of exhibits and collections, Katheryn Keane. Then, University of Northern Iowa camouflage expert Roy Behrens wrote the introduction to the exhibit and joins the show. Later in the program, a conversation with Isabela Muzzio about how politics impact our memories. (This show was originally produced Feb. 17, 2026.)
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On this episode we listen to highlights from a conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His book, 'The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy,' examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality, why it's by design. This conversation was recorded at The Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council. (This episode was originally produced May 19, 2026.)
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Congress keeps funding the Iran war with little oversight.Political scientists Karen Kedrowski and Kelly Shaw of Iowa State University offer analysis on this and other political issues from the week.
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At 96, Jean Lloyd-Jones has published ‘A Woman’s Place: My Life as a Public Servant.’ The book tracks her path from the League of Women Voters to the Iowa Legislature, as well as her work founding the Iowa Institute for Peace. -
Jean Lloyd-Jones served in both the Iowa House and the Iowa Senate, starting in 1979. Now, at age 96, she has published a memoir called 'A Women's Place: My Life as a Public Servant.' On this episode, Lloyd-Jones shares about how her career expectations didn't extend much beyond finding a husband in the early 1950s, to then spending 60 hours a week volunteering for the Iowa League of Women Voters, realizing that she can make a difference at the Iowa Capitol and helping other women pursue careers in politics.
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After two centuries of expanding democracy, why has America become more unequal — not less? On this episode we listen to highlights from a recent conversation with political scientist Jeffrey Winters of Northwestern University. His new book, The Blind Spot: How Oligarchs Dominate Our Democracy, examines the failure of democracy to address wealth inequality and why this issue is by design. This conversation was recorded on May 7 at the Englert Theatre, presented by the Iowa City Foreign Relations Council.
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In his book 'Freedom Season: How 1963 Transformed America’s Civil Rights,' Peniel Joseph writes how 1963 was a landmark year for the Civil Rights Movement. Now, Joseph says, the United States is experiencing rollbacks of civil rights and racial justice ideals that the turmoil and violence of 1963 ushered in. Host Charity Nebbe speaks with Joseph about his book, and how the events of 1963 help us better understand contemporary political polarization and racial and cultural divisions. Joseph explains struggles for racial justice in 1963 reverberated worldwide, at times strengthening and damaging America’s global reputation in a manner that echoes the present. (This episode was originally produced June 17, 2025.)
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We've seen a recent rise in Christian nationalism, a powerful political movement. To some it looks like a threat to our democracy, and to others it looks like voting their values. But, what does it mean to Iowa Christian faith leaders and their congregations? We sit down with four of them to find out. But first, we hear from journalist Katherine Stewart about how Christian nationalism evolved and who benefits from it.